Duration: 1hour 30 minutes
Date: Tuesday, September 12, 2023
Time: 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM (EST)
Location:Virtually via ZOOMWho Should Attend: Owners, Managers, Account Execs, Marketing Reps, Restoration Professionals, & Contractors
Overview: For contractors who are interested OR are already delivering insurance-related restoration and reconstruction services, this webinar will give you insights and understanding into how a contractor fits into the property insurance claims process. The ability to consider different perspectives on the process that may help you develop your approaches. In addition, you will have the opportunity to learn more about and apply to become a HOMEE Pro.
Instructors:Lisa Lavender and Larry NettlesObjectives:
Gain an understanding of the overview of the insurance claims process.
Learn key terms and parties involved in claims.
Understand how a third party and a contractor fit into the process.
What does it mean to be a contractor that is helping to deliver on the promises in a policy?
Photo credit: Poike / iStock / Getty Images Plus via Getty Images
August 7, 2023
I lost my dad unexpectedly in June 2023. He was an amazing dad, grandfather, friend, mentor, coach and much more. He left a lasting impact on everyone he encountered. He was also my editor and so if there is a comma out of place or a poorly constructed sentence, you now have insight into my going off the rails a bit. As a bonus, he would pass along overall encouragement, constructive feedback, and his least favorite topics would be tools and technical which I would respond, “Dad, restorers like it.”
I could write a book to memorialize the lessons and wisdom that he passed along to me, my family, and anyone who was simply willing to listen and learn. I knew he contributed to the business. As I reflect, my father shaped me as a human being but also in business, and I realize more now that it is completely intertwined.
Since retiring as an executive from Prudential Insurance in 2004, he joined the team, giving himself the title of Consultant and then promoting himself to Sr. Consultant. He worked for snacks and an occasional thank you sandwich. He could do anything, but he chooses to work, mentor, coach, and follow his professional passions of insurance, developing others, company culture, and operations. He developed and executed courses, human resources, coaching, articles, research, and even would help prep meals for class, anything to help. And to quote my sister, on a note that he had saved and cherished, “We could not have done it with out you!” (the building of the business)
I take the opportunity to share some of the wisdom that he has passed along that has helped me and others find joy and success.
Be responsible and take care of your things: When I was 5, he had bought me new sneakers. I had left them outside. He hid them and addressed the “situation” to make sure that I learned and understood the value of the sneakers, the importance of respecting the value, and taking care of my things. He was fun-loving, not too strict; this story was an on-going joke our entire life as I would often dramatically recount the story and tell him that it traumatized me. Which leads to…
Laugh every day: We joked and laughed every day, like the day I accused him of taking the Ding Dongs. Inspiring the value of laughter and happiness. At the Restoration Technical Institute our purpose is found in Inspiring Happiness, Pride, and Innovation in others. The value of laughter and happiness in our operations is shared in: Is Your Organization HAPPY? Which leads to…
Shared values: It was over 20 years ago that he said, “Lisa, it is time to document the company values,” which inspired my first Restoring Success article, Core and Shared Values. Which leads to…
Focus on what is important and maintain perspective: He taught us to calibrate our perspective meter and focus on things that matter in the business. In a management meeting, he wrote on the board a “Give a SH!# Meter” that I adapted to be more “professional” and wrote about in, It’s All About Perspective. Which leads to…
Tacit approval: He educated me and brought focus to the concept of tacit approval by walking into my office and garnishing my attention to the matter by holding up a piece paper with the words, TACIT APPROVAL, which inspired a New Years Resolution and my article, No More Tacit Approval. And then there is…
Understanding insurance: He coined the phrase when teaching restorers about insurance, explaining how important we are in the system, that we are “delivering on the promises in the policy.” The story of Dad teaching me about insurance and the value as a restorer is found in, Understanding the Insurance Industry. Which leads me to add…
Lead by example and embrace change:He led by example which garnished unwavering respect from others. When he fought eLearning, Zoom, and any related technology implementation, he self-assessed, came in and said, “I need to be open- minded and embrace change.” He was 72. And so, we began creating his Insurance for the Restoration Professional materials, eLearning. Which led to….
Drive safely: Another story for another time, but he was extremely passionate about safe driving, the dangers, the distractions, and was in constant motion on how he could make a positive impact in this area. He created this course, offered for free: Driving: What you need to know! By Paul Pinchak. He would always be notified when someone “bought” his free course. This made him feel fulfilled.
Be clear and concise: Let’s just say that I am a work in progress on the concise part. He would look at me and others and move his finger and say, “get to the bottom line”.
I believe he began to document a list for others to reflect and consider to help them find joy, work ethic, and fulfillment.
On his desk, was a yellow legal pad with the notes below sketched out. I know he intended to finalize, show me, and share it with others:
Be Selfless – “concerned more with the needs and wishes of others than with one’s own”
Be Curious – “an eager desire to learn and, at times, to learn what may not concern you in the moment”
Be Influenced – “by the right people…we decide who we affect and who we allow to affect us”
Care – “about what you are doing…believing and committing makes a meaningful difference in one’s well being”
Be in the Right Culture – “more important than strategy…work in a culture where the values align closely with yours”
May some of dad’s wisdom that has helped me, and others, also bring you much Restoring Success.
Phoenix has integrated DryLINK into iRestore to save contractors’ time. Users of iRestore can have their job information automatically imported into DryLINK and have the drying report automatically available in iRestore.
iRestore users now have easy access to the Power of DryLINK including jobsite data collection and remote monitoring. “We continue to partner with as many software platforms as we can to make life easier for restorers. We have heard over and over that restorers want our industry to simplify all the different systems on the market. This is another example of our efforts to do this for the industry” said Erin Hynum, Senior Director of Product Management for Phoenix.
“With this integration, it makes it even easier for restorers to send the documentation from DryLINK via iRestore to their customers and their insurance companies closing the loop on the proof you can provide to get paid faster” said Jack Lavender, Business Development Manager for iRestore.
This integration is an extension of our commitment to restorers to streamline and build the ideal automated workflows for their company and teams.
About iRestore iRestore is a provider of comprehensive restoration management software designed to empower restorers with the tools they need to streamline operations and achieve success. Built by restorers for restorers, our user-friendly platform offers a wide range of core functions, including Job Management, CRM, HR, Timecards, Scheduling, and more. With a firm commitment to customer success, iRestore strives to deliver robust systems and exceptional support to restoration businesses worldwide. To learn more about iRestore, visit https:// irestore.io/.
iRestore is a CRM and job management software program developed by a former restoration professional and computer programmer for restoration industry professionals.
About DryLINK DryLINK is the only completely automated jobsite data collection tool with remote monitoring capabilities, live drying reports, and asset management for the water mitigation market. The drying report can be shared with stakeholders for up-to-date jobsite information.
About Phoenix Restoration Equipment Phoenix is a leading supplier of innovative equipment and technology solutions for water mitigation professionals. Phoenix launched the first LGR dehumidifier, the Phoenix 200, in 1994 and continues to lead the restoration industry forward with innovations like DryLINK. Phoenix is a brand of Therma-Stor LLC, a company dedicated to innovation in the indoor air quality and water damage restoration industries. To learn more about Phoenix Restoration Equipment, visit www.usephoenix.com.
Photo credit: eyfoto / iStock / Getty Images Plus via Getty Images
May 8, 2023
For nearly 23 years in the industry, I have been making lists. All kinds of lists: supply lists, task lists, inspection lists, to-do lists, lists of lists that need to be made. After all these years, I am still making lists but with new eyes, knowledge, skills, and inspiration.
Over the years, I had moments of frustration and thought, “no more lists!” I have had a few rants: “Do not make another list because I probably already made it!” I have pondered the use of lists after they were made. Some of the lists fall into the category of “they don’t work if we don’t use it.”
If you are in this industry, you likely use a list, made a list, planned to make a list, or want a list. You may have experienced some list frustration. Where does our list passion come from? I have had the opportunity to have some great collaborative conversations with some of my restoration friends, and during one conversation I was referred to the book, The Checklist Manifesto, How to Get things Right, Autl Gawande. The following book review gave me goosebumps: “An electrifying manifesto that pairs the most advanced medical science with the humblest of tools: the checklist….” Donna Seaman, Booklist. The title alone tells us where our list passion is found, “How to Get things Right.” Summary: “…Atul Gawande makes a compelling argument that we can do better, using the simplest of methods: the checklist….how they could bring about striking improvements in a variety of fields, from medicine and disaster recovery to professions and businesses of all kinds…”
Lists are widely adopted tools in many sectors and well-developed, accessible lists can be valuable job aids that help our teams succeed and improve our operational outcomes. I am always inspired by my military veteran restoration friends. Not only is their service to our country an inspiration but also the experiences, ideas and strategies from their military background being applied to restoration operations.
I asked a process-driven military veteran and restoration business owner who I admire to share his thoughts on lists. Chris Sanford, MBA, Navy Veteran Business Owner, PuroClean Disaster Restoration Services:
“I believe lists are critical to help prioritize and maximize what one can accomplish in a defined period of time. For more than 23 years in the Navy while on active duty and now in the reserves, I have kept a “wheel book,” aka notebook, by my side or on my person and each one is filled with a list of tasks for each day. I’ve broken pages up into tasks for me, emails to write, calls to make, and tasks to assign. I also use different color pens to differentiate normal vs urgent tasks. I’ve tried different digital solutions, but haven’t been able to switch over completely. Bottom line: every successful officer I have met in the military uses lists extensively to ensure nothing slips through the cracks. I also appreciate a good checklist, which is a specific type of list that can be a template used to perform a routine task without missing a step over and over, or a one-time-use checklist for a specific event or project. If you are really into lists for larger events and projects, Google “Plan of Action and Milestones (POAM),” it’s a list on steroids. . .the military loves lists! I have incorporated this into my business and encourage our staff to use both task lists, reminder lists, and checklists each and every day.”
If you have struggled to make lists to serve as job aids, you are not alone. As you read The Checklist Manifesto, you will gain valuable insight and knowledge regarding the use of lists, the expertise, and the development process. Today, I collaborate with our teams to make job aids to use in our own operations, as training tools, and for the restorers we serve. Below is a glimpse of the variety of efforts which also resulted in our internal joke of making things simple is not so simple.
Textile Sorting Chart: Took about two weeks and many iterations. After testing it, it needed to be adjusted several times.
Water Truck Inventory List: 97 items, only basic items, 3 months of perfecting the list and formatting for practical use and implementation.
Basic Water Loss – Day 1 Simple Steps: Not simple to make simple steps. Approximately 3 months, many iterations, and resulted in 17 Simple Steps, with some reminder bullets.
Why is it so hard? It is a discipline with a series of best practices. This is important because the reality is all job aids, lists, are not created equally. I dug into the archives and as a young restoration company operator, I found my documents that were meant to be job aids were wordy documents that ranged from 300- to 1,000-word, single spaced, documents. This was the source of the problem. This was not an effective approach to giving the tools to the team that I was trying to create. They would be fine in a comprehensive manual but not serve as job aids. Here are a few tips (checklist) to help you develop and/or implement lists as job aids.
Simple: Be extremely concise. It is not a replacement for training and experience. I can attest that this is a very difficult element to conquer.
Format and Approach: There are a variety of approaches from a simple checklist to a flow chart. Example: How to Train Someone is an 8-Step Flow Chart
Design: The graphic design, font, colors, and imagery should all be considered.
Test: Test your list/job aid. Your first iteration may have missed something. This is part of the development process.
Incorporate the use of the lists and company expectations in your training and development initiatives.
Accessibility: The team must have access to the lists & job aides. It may be digital, attached to assignments, paper hanging in the warehouse, truck, or placed strategically like putting a PPE Bag Inventory List on the bag itself.
You’ve heard and can relate to the saying from Gustave Flaubert, “The devil is in the detail.” It refers to the notion that even the simplest of details can be complicated and may cause problems.
As I enjoy continually developing, defining, and refining processes, and talking to other restorers about operations, I found as you adopt a continuous improvement approach to process and clearly defining expectations that it is quite easy to become frustrated by the thousands of details that can easily trip up the most well-developed systems.
Did you ever just wonder or exclaim to yourself, “What in the world! That was a smooth process that has been in place and working for X years!” I am not necessarily referring to a weakness in your operations, a person, or a department although that could be a root cause. I am talking about what could equate to thousands of details daily that are happening in your operation that could be missed even with the best people, processes, and technology in place.
The details may be symptoms of a deeper problem, however. In the context of strong foundations and people, it may simply be a mistake or missed detail. As an example, someone forgot to lock a vehicle or missed the “referred by” in setting up a new job which could result in lost equipment or in the case of the referred by a failure to properly thank the source and comprised reporting. Managing the details is about maintaining your operation and helping talented team members stay great and/or continue to get better.
My unscientific estimate of thousands can be visualized by considering all the details that are happening in each key functional area. For example: administration, sales, production, project management, accounting, and human resources. I did not do a formal count as I lost track somewhere in the hundreds and decided to go with thousands. The following is a rambling list of detailed related activities and/or information. The reality is that the exact number is irrelevant, managing them all proactively versus reactively is what is important.
Job-related information and data, file updates, pictures, contracts, videos
Estimates, change orders, invoices, collections
Ongoing communications, how to communicate, when to communicate, and how to document communication
Training, development, human resources
Safety, PPE, compliance
Inventories of supplies, PPE, equipment, batteries, uniforms, etc.
Vehicles and equipment, cleanliness, repairs, maintenance
Accounting, bills, receipts, job costing, payroll
Sales and marketing
Warehouse and facilities, organized, clean, efficient design
We did not even get to field execution and production: floor protection, quality, schedule, subcontractors, contents processing, lots of details.
Being paralyzed or frustrated by the details that could be compromised or allowing them to spiral into complete breakdowns of your well-established systems, processes, etc., is not an option. The following is a brief list of tips to manage the details so you can focus efforts on the development and implementation of progress, growth, and other high-impact initiatives. The following is based on starting with a solid foundation that includes a healthy culture, engaged team, relationships built on trust, and good team morale complete with positive recognition and reinforcement. A team with leaders that buy into the concept of constructive feedback for continuous improvement will be impacted in a positive way by the following tips:
Tacit Approval: Avoid ignoring the problem of the missed detail. This could spiral quickly into a bigger process breakdown. You can learn more about tacit approval in the following Restoring Success. The management theory of “things that get noticed get done” applies to this tactic.
Software Systems and Reporting: Utilizing software to monitor, manage, and report some of the details will help efficiently identify a variety of blips. Once you are using technology to do this, reviewing the information, and addressing any of the details that are out of compliance must be a clearly defined responsibility in your organization and must be consistently done on a schedule or in a timely manner.
Inspecting: In addition to using digital tools/software, developed visual inspections, checklists/forms, and a schedule can help keep the details in check. This approach is effective in evaluating fieldwork, job site safety, warehouse, and vehicles. Inspecting our own work and as part of our SOPs also helps to proactively manage the details and minimizing misses.
Systems by Design: Developed systems that support detail success and support inspections will serve the team well. A few examples to illustrate the concept:
The company process may be that the vacuums are put into their designated location at the end of every day. They should be clean and field ready. If there is a designated location and it is labeled, a quick walk-through of the warehouse at end of day (or beginning of next day) will allow for a quick visual inspection as a missing vacuum will be evident.
In a vehicle a shelf is labeled five extension cord reals, it is extremely easy upon inspecting and evaluating if there are in fact five, an important detail.
Responsibility: Clearly defined roles of who is responsible for the outcomes, oversight and, addressing details is integral part of keeping the details in check.
Speed: Addressing details cannot wait 6 months or when we get to it. When addressed quickly, we better prevent the compromised detail from recurring. The timeliness of addressing the detail is the right thing to do for the team member’s individual success. Imagine waiting for an annual review or waiting till the detail has escalated and sitting down with someone saying, “We have a severe problem. You have not been locking your vehicle for 6 months.” And the response is, “I am sorry. Why didn’t someone tell me?” (A dramatization for illustration purposes)
Retraining: Retraining helps solidify details and keep them top of mind. Some of the courses that we have developed I believe are important in the retraining category to help proactively manage details and include but are not limited to: Job Site Behaviors and PPE with a review of proper donning and doffing. You can gain free access HERE.
Tools: As a team, brainstorm, and develop tools and approaches to managing the details proactively and constructively. The following is an example of a tool for leadership to address details quickly and positively, Inspiration Notes:
Do not let blips in the potentially thousands of details that make your company great get you frustrated, or fester. Each detail typically has a chain reaction impacting other areas, details, customers, and people in the company. Make open and constructive feedback part of your healthy culture, keep the details in check and spend your energy on positive high-impact initiatives by having a proactive approach to managing all the details that matter.
